Endless harvester-sickle.



No. 67I,085. Patented Apr. 2, I90l.

P. w KNOWLES.

ENDLESS HARVESTER SICKLE.

(Application filed June 6, 1900.] (No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

115525 I M w.

UNITED TATES 'PI-n'LiP W. KNOWLES,

.AT-ENT or DUFUR, OREGON.

ENDLESS HARVEISTER-SICKLE;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent a. 671,085, dated April 2, 1901.

- Application filed June. 6, 1900.

To n-ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that -I, PHILIP W, KNOWLES, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Du fur, in the 'county of Wasco and Stateof-Oregou, have'invente'd a! new and useful Endless Harvesting-Sickle, of which the, following is a specification. V

My invention isan improved endless-cutting apparatus for harvesters, mowing-machines, and the like, one object of my invenlion being to provide improved coacting finger-bars and are adapted or grass and to compress thesame against the front side ofthe cutter-bar while in the v act an endlesstraveling eutterwhich of cutting the same, thereby increasing the" efficiency of the cutti-ngapparatus.-

A further. object of my invention is to pro? vide an improved form of endless cutting: chain in which the on tter-plates'are separable from the links thereof and in which the latter. are provided with coacting recesses adapted to beengag'ed by the teeth of the actuatin and supporting sprocket-wheels.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved form of' cutter-bar in connection with the finger-bars and endless cutting-chains.

My-inveution consists in the peculiar con-- struction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth, andpointed out inthe claims. e

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective. view of an endless cutting apparatus embodying my improvements. Fig.

2 is a detail perspective view of one of the ploy a base-platel, which is of suitablelength and breadth and to the under side of which are bolted the rearward-extending arms 2 of the fingers 3, vertical shoulders 4 being formed'at the rear sides' of the fingers and horizontally-disposed slots 5 being made in to effect a shear cut on thegrain' Serial N0. 19,285 (N0 model.)

the said. fingers, whereby eoacting cutting edges 67 are formed at the uppeu and lower sides of said slots. A space-block S of suitable length, breadth, and thickness is secured on the base-plate 1',.and on theupper side of the said space-blockis secured a top plate 9,\vhich corresponds with the base-plate in size and shape. It will be observed by reference to the drawings that a runway is formedbetwec nthe: base and top plates onthe front and rear sidesof the cutting apparatus-and at the ends thereof, inwhich runway an endless cutting-chain '11 isadapted totravel, as hereinafter described. A plate 12, secured on the rear side of the shoulders tot the-fingers 3, extends from the base-plate to the level of the lower sides ofthe slots 5 in said) 'fin ers. The-endless traveliu chain ll'com- I 4 prises a ser es of separable links 13 and cutfer-plates 14, which-are secured thereon. The

. front lead of the endless traveling chain ope-rates immediately inr'earof the plate 12,and the cutter-plates 14, which are secured on the links 13, project forward'over said plate .12. and operate in the-slots 5 of fingers 3, coopeiatingwith. the lower edges 7 of said slots to cut the grass, or grain, as will be understood. The endless traveling cutting-chain passes over the sprocket-wheels 15 at opposite ends of the base and top plates. said wheels is shown in Figs. 3 and 4." The other is on the shaft 19, which is shown'in l, and is hidden by the'top plate, the

said sprocket-wheel's being of polygonal form, I

adapted to thelinks-l3 of the endless" chain and provided with projecting spurs 17, which engage openings ofthe links 13; The shaft 19 of wheel (not shown) at the inner end of the cutting apparatus is rovided in the embodiment of my invention here shown with a vertical exten-' sion 20, to'which a power-shaft 21 is geared;

' but I do not limit myself to this construction and combination of devices, as any suitable means maybe employed for driving the endless cutting-ohain.

' Each link 13 is provided at one endwith a projecting lug 22, adapted to fit betweena 18, made in the inner sides pair of lugs 23 at the opposing end-ofthe next link, and bolts 24. are employed which pass throughalined openings in the lugs 22 24, and

hence serve to flexiblyconnect the said links bolts 24 also pass through the cutting-plates 14, at one end thereof, and in connection with the bolts 25 serve to secure said cutting-plates on the upper sides of said links 13. Each cutting-plate has a forward-extending obliquelydisposed cutting-arm 26, provided with a cutting edge 27. Said cutting edges 27 are obliquely disposed with reference to the coacting edge 7 of the fingers 3 and diverge from the same rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and this oblique disposition and arrangement of the cutting edges of the cutting-plates and fingers is effective in causing the same to cut by a shearing action and in operation gathers the grass or grain in bunches between the opposing sides of the fingers and the cutting-plates and presses said bunches of grass or grain rearwardly against the plate 12 at the bases of the fingers in the act of cutting the same,therebygreatlyenhancing the efficiency of the cutting apparatus and causing the same to cut the grain or grass by clean shear cuts, thus avoiding the'entanglement of the grain or grass While cutting the same, preventing the grain or grass from binding in the cutting mechanism, and leaving the stubble clear.

Iain aware thatit is not broadly new to combine an'endless cutter with fingers which coact therewith, and this I disclaim.

Having thus described my invention, I claiin 1. In endless cutting apparatus for harvesters and the like, the combination with fingers,

of an endless traveling chain having cuttingplates coacting with said fingers, said cuttingplates having obliquely disposed cutting edges diverging rearward from the coacting edges of said fingers, for the purpose set forth, substantially as desdribed.

2. In-endless cutting apparatus for harvesters and the like, an endless traveling chain composed of links having projecting lugs at one end, bolts extending through alined openings insaidlugs, and flexibly connecting said links together, and cutter-plates secured on said links, said cutter-plates having the obliquely-disposed cutting-blades, in combination with a frame having coacting fingers provided with slots in which the cutting-blades operate, the cutting edges of the blades or arms of saidcntter-plates diverging rearwardly from the coacting edges of said fingers, substantially as described.

In endless cutting apparatus for harvesters, the combination of the base and top plates, forming a runway between them, the forward-projecting fin'geishaving slots, the rearward-extended arms on their lower sides bolted to the lower side of said base-plate and the vertical shoulders 4, the plate 12 secured on the rear sides of the fingers, closing the spaces between the bases thereof and extending from the base-plate to the slots of said fingers, the sprocket-wheels mounted between the base and top plates, the endless chain disposed in the said runway and connecting the said sprocket-Wheels, said chain having its front surface bearing against the rear side of plate 12, and the cutting-plates on said endless chain having cutting edges coacting with the edges of said fingers and operating in' the slots of the latter, substantially as described.

In testimony that. I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP W. KNOWL IS.

Witnesses:

DOLPH L. HOLGATE, GEO. W. JOHNSTON. 

